Chapter 229

Chapter 229

Sweating profusely under the sun, Ye Jinrong fell ill the next day and couldn’t get out of bed.

Over the past two years, her spirits had been low. Her hair was dry and speckled with white, making her appear older than her peers. She spoke less than before. After all the troubles at home, she rarely went out to socialize, becoming much quieter.

Peng Huizi’s marriage was only possible by giving Pei Chunyan to someone else, showing how difficult their situation was.

What troubled her even more was hearing the village gossip about the back hill being leveled and turned into a large vegetable plot.

She had seen Pei Yan driving a donkey cart to town, filled with fresh green vegetables. Even Gu Lanshi would grab handfuls of new vegetables right in front of her, distributing them not only to the Gu family but also to some villagers.

Everyone praised Gu Lanshi and Pei Yan for their generosity, giving away vegetables along the way, though not much. But the villagers, feeling indebted, began speaking well of Pei Yan.

This was fine, but some meddlesome people, knowing her family’s plight, would mock her face-to-face, saying they treated a blessing as a curse, deliberately adding insult to injury.

Ye Jinrong kept silent outwardly but felt contempt inwardly. Just a handful of vegetables and they were bought off. These few people were no different from beggars, ignorant and poor, never having experienced wealth. Although her family had fallen on hard times, they had once lived well and tasted many kinds of food.

Who knew that later, Pei Yan and Gu Lanshi raised chickens and pigs. They had dozens of chickens and sold fat pigs in winter, one after another.

As for eggs, basket after basket were sent to Ning Shui Town and the city, even during winter.

It was winter, and the price of eggs was like gold to many farmers, cheaper than meat.

Even without knowing exactly how much money they made, who wouldn’t feel envious? Ye Jinrong felt it even more acutely. Good fortune seemed to elude her entirely. She alternated between anger, regret, and jealousy, hoping for their downfall, but fate did not favor her.

Everyone in the village knew even Fang Honghua benefited, eating eggs in winter despite hiding it. Every time she returned from the back hill, she carried a bamboo basket covered with cloth, clearly taking something from there.

Some villagers said Pei Yan and Gu Lanshi were filial, but Ye Jinrong didn’t believe it. If they were truly filial, why hadn’t she, the mother, received even a single egg? All the benefits went to the Gu family.

The Gu family truly had good luck, taking advantage of the situation.

No matter how poorly she and Pei Xingwang treated Pei Yan, he grew up eating their food. Otherwise, he would have starved to death and wouldn’t be living so well now.

Thinking about this, Ye Jinrong always felt indignant. However, despite her resentment and jealousy, she dared not cause trouble for the Gu family or Pei Yan. When she encountered Pei Yan in the village, his indifferent gaze always frightened her.

Her sons were even more terrified of Pei Yan, unable to muster any courage when facing him.

No one in the family spoke of it, but they all knew that life was already hard enough. Another mishap could be disastrous. Thus, they avoided Pei Yan whenever possible.

Recalling these thoughts, Ye Jinrong lay on the bed, feeling parched. She struggled to get up for water but found the teapot empty.

"Someone, come here."

She called twice, feeling chest tightness and shortness of breath. Supporting herself on the table, she regained her composure and called for Fang Yun and Wang Yaor. Receiving no response, she remembered they might be out working.

The noise outside was likely from Pei Sheng.

Pei Sheng usually stayed indoors unless necessary. In the morning, Wang Yaor discovered she was ill when checking on her.

With no money for medicine, everyone just offered comforting words, telling Ye Jinrong to rest and not work. Then they went about their own business.

Pei Sheng sat on a stool chopping firewood, using only his left hand due to weakness in his right. He heard the sound from inside but ignored it out of annoyance.

"Mingzi! Mingzi! Bring me some water," Ye Jinrong called again, followed by heavy breathing.

After a while, Pei Sheng put down the axe, filled the teapot with water, and brought it in, his expression sullen.

Ye Jinrong, looking dazed, said nothing, drank two bowls of tea, and lay back down. She hoped sleep would cure her, but she couldn’t close her eyes, staring at the ceiling, feeling bitter cold seeping through her bones.

Her eldest son resented her; she felt guilty and couldn’t blame him. Even her daughter-in-law disrespected her, and she dared not say anything. The younger son was even less reliable, spoiled since childhood, only interested in eating and drinking. Now married, he was controlled by his husband, becoming increasingly impatient with her, blaming her for provoking Pei Yan, causing financial strain and delaying his marriage.

She had grandchildren and was getting old. This illness left her without anyone to care for her, not even a sip of tea without calling repeatedly.

Her daughter-in-law and son-in-law were not filial, offering no comfort. As for her sons, her heart grew colder.

Suddenly, Ye Jinrong thought of her daughter. Pei Chunyan had always been obedient, doing whatever she was told, never talking back or causing trouble.

Her dull eyes brightened momentarily. Having raised her so well and now married, surely she would return to care for her sick mother.

"Mingzi."

This time, Pei Sheng took a long time to enter, frowning and asking what she wanted.

Ye Jinrong caught her breath and said, "Tomorrow, send Huizi to Wangjiagou to bring Chunyan back."

Pei Sheng replied impatiently, "Why bring her back?"

Wangjiagou was far, on the other side of Ning Shui Town. Sending Peng Huizi would delay farm work, and she knew they had sold the donkey.

Seeing his reaction, Ye Jinrong’s expression turned bleak. Finally, she breathed heavily, "I’m sick."

Pei Sheng stood at the door for a moment, then grunted and left.

*

At the kitchen entrance, Gu Lanshi sat on a small stool, cleaning snails and loaches from a basin. They had been soaking overnight to expel mud and sand, ready for cooking today.

These were caught by Pei Yan yesterday, and the loaches were quite plump.

Cleaning snails was easier, but he used coarse flour to clean the loaches thoroughly.

Under the shade near the eaves, Xingxing lay in a cradle, humming and gnawing on a rattle with his toothless mouth, leaving saliva all over it and his chin.

Busy with tasks, Xingxing wouldn’t cry, even if just gnawing on something. Gu Lanshi was reassured, especially with Huihui and Huazai guarding the cradle, ready to alert him if anything went wrong.

Snipping snail tails and cutting loaches, he worked alone, occasionally feeling Huihui and Huazai rubbing against his legs and back. Liu Dagé and Zhou Dalang had taken the water buffalo out to graze earlier, with Dahēi following.

Sometimes the water buffalo, after eating its fill, would lie down somewhere, sometimes slowly returning home. Dahēi would follow if nothing urgent happened.

As mealtime approached, Pei Yan and Liu Dagé had not returned, nor were the buffalo and dog in sight.

Gu Lansi tidied up the ingredients and peeked outside. Seeing no one, he carried the basin and turned into the kitchen, deciding to finish cooking before heading to the fields to look for his child.

The kitchen soon bustled with activity. The spicy stir-fried snails were fragrant and pungent, making one's mouth water. The fried loaches, coated in a batter mixed with eggs, were crispy and tender, with few bones.

Gu Lansi used long chopsticks to carefully lift each fried loach out of the oil, letting the excess drip off before placing them in a bowl. After finishing, he extinguished the fire under the stove.

He let the oil cool before scooping it out. He couldn't resist picking up one loach, blowing on it before taking a bite. It was indeed crispy and tender.

He was quite pleased; his cooking skills were improving.

Worried about his child, Gu Lansi hurried out. Xingxing hadn’t cried and had stopped gnawing on the rattle. His little legs kicked, but upon seeing Amu, he didn’t smile, only made a few sounds.

Suddenly remembering something, Gu Lansi felt Xingxing’s diaper and the small mat beneath him. Both were wet, even dripping with water, indicating that he had urinated quite a bit.

"You naughty kid, peed again without saying anything." Laughing, he removed Xingxing’s diaper and pants, lightly patting his chubby bottom as a small punishment. Even his bottom was wet. He quickly brought Xingxing inside to clean him up and change his clothes.

*

The low mud walls were partly patched with a fence. The gate wasn’t too narrow, but the two old door panels had been repaired several times.

Every time Pei Huzi visited Wang Ya’er’s home, he would think about how the wall was so low that one could easily see into the yard by standing on tiptoes. Even if there were holes in the door panels, they were always patched up, though it didn’t really help from the front.

He knew better than to say these things aloud; after all, it was his in-laws' place, and he couldn’t say such things in front of Wang Ya’er.

When he heard that his mother was ill, Pei Chunyan, who had already tied her hair in a married woman’s style, showed no change in expression. Her face remained blank, as if she hadn’t heard anything, until Pei Huzi said he wanted to take her back because his mother missed her.

She looked at Pei Huzi for a moment. When Wang Mao’er agreed to let her go, she simply nodded to acknowledge it, then packed her things and left with Pei Huzi.

Wang Mao’er was old and had never married. Finally, he had managed to get married, and since Pei Chunyan came over, she worked diligently without complaint, though she rarely spoke or smiled. Seeing her efficiency, the Wang family was quite satisfied, as long as she could bear children and work hard. They didn’t deliberately mistreat her.

Since his mother-in-law was ill, it was only right to let his daughter-in-law visit. Otherwise, people would talk and criticize them.

After passing through Ning Water Town, the road gradually became familiar, leading towards Xiaohe Village.

Pei Chunyan carried her bundle, which contained just a set of clothes. She followed silently, and Pei Huzi, not knowing what to say to a girl, also walked in silence.

Hearing movement, Ye Jinrong opened her eyes and turned to see Pei Chunyan. Her heart lifted; finally, her daughter had returned.

"Mother," Pei Chunyan’s voice was hollow and emotionless, showing little reaction to her mother’s illness.

Having been neglected since childhood, she understood the situation. Seeing Ye Jinrong’s dry, pale lips, she went to pour some water, only to find the teapot cold and nearly empty. Without a word, she didn’t argue or fight with others for her mother’s sake; she simply took the teapot outside to boil water.

Ye Jinrong opened her mouth, unable to call out "daughter" before noticing Pei Chunyan’s odd behavior. Memories flooded back, and she realized she couldn’t remember when her daughter had changed.

It seemed she had always been like this—quiet, rarely smiling, often working silently. In truth, she hadn’t changed much from before.

Ye Jinrong sat up, leaning against the headboard, and accepted the warm tea cup. She blew on it and took a couple of sips, feeling refreshed.

Pei Chunyan saw the dirty dishes on the table and, without speaking to her mother, began to clean up.

Ye Jinrong watched her daughter leave, feeling dazed. She still thought Pei Chunyan had changed, though she couldn’t pinpoint how, causing her initial joy to fade.

Her daughter seemed unreliable.

Pei Chunyan washed the dishes and then cleaned the unattended chamber pot, working silently without looking at Ye Jinrong.

Ye Jinrong’s face darkened. Realizing that raising her daughter had been futile, she felt like a white-eyed wolf. Pei Chunyan hadn’t even asked how she fell ill or if she had taken any medicine.

Perhaps the Wang family had influenced her.

The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became. She resented the Wang family, believing they had manipulated her daughter. Even Wang Ya’er controlled their son Huzi completely, making him obedient. This made her furious.

Even Pei Chunyan had been influenced by the Wang family.

Because Fang Yun had arranged the marriage, Ye Jinrong had never liked the Wang family. Now, it was almost a new grudge added to old ones.

Holding her tea cup, she had been sick for two days with no one fetching medicine. Though she knew they weren’t wealthy, rural people usually endured illnesses. But she felt Fang Yun and the others were waiting for her to die, making her suspicious and unhappy. These thoughts further fueled her resentment towards Pei Chunyan, whom she had raised well, only to be swayed by others’ words.

In the evening.

Finally, someone brought hot food. Ye Jinrong leaned against the headboard, forcing herself to eat despite having no appetite. She needed strength; otherwise, she would truly die, fulfilling their wishes!

However, her body was weak, and soon she bent over and vomited beside the bed, unable to hold it in. Her stomach convulsed painfully.

The other members of the Pei family were eating outside. Hearing the commotion, Fang Yun and Wang Ya’er reluctantly put down their bowls and came inside with Pei Chunyan.

Seeing the mess on the floor, both Fang Yun and Wang Ya’er frowned. Wang Ya’er was slightly better, as Ye Jinrong had mellowed after his marriage. However, Fang Yun and Ye Jinrong had always clashed due to Pei Sheng. Smelling the stench, Fang Yun waved her hand and scolded, "What a waste!"

"If you can’t eat, don’t eat. Good food wasted," Fang Yun muttered at the door, glaring at Ye Jinrong, annoyed and unwilling to care. She turned and left.

With so many mouths to feed and barely enough money from their few acres of land, they struggled to make ends meet. Her two sons were growing and always hungry. Such good food should have gone to the pigs, which could at least gain weight and earn money.

Seeing Pei Chunyan cleaning up with a shovel, Wang Ya’er happily returned to the table. Otherwise, Fang Yun’s two hungry sons would devour all the food, picking the best dishes. They were truly unruly, acting as if they had no parents.

During dinner, chopsticks clashed as everyone tried to grab more food, even fighting over dishes. Pei Huzi and Pei Sheng, disturbed while eating, angrily slammed the table, silencing everyone.

By the time Pei Chunyan finished cleaning, only half a bowl of porridge remained on the table, with no vegetables or bread left.

No one mentioned getting medicine, even when Ye Jinrong called Pei Sheng over. He dismissed her request, citing lack of money.

*

Ye Jinrong knew the family’s financial situation well and remained silent for a long time.

Fang Yun held all the money, and Wang Ya’er, though envious, couldn’t challenge her authority. As the eldest sister-in-law, Fang Yun managed the household finances, leaving Wang Ya’er powerless. He could only secretly save coins with Pei Huzi.

On the fourth day of Pei Chunyan’s return, Ye Jinrong’s face grew darker each day. Whenever she had the strength, she lay in bed, cursing Pei Sheng, Pei Huzi, and Pei Chunyan. She also cursed Fang Yun and Wang Ya’er, sometimes even berating her grandchildren who didn’t side with her.

Even when Pei Chunyan brought her food and wiped her face, Ye Jinrong’s hoarse voice repeatedly accused her of being ungrateful. Yet, Pei Chunyan remained stoic, unaffected by the abuse.

Ye Jinrong grew angrier, but no one paid attention to her. They didn’t even enter the room, allowing her to spew vulgar village language, treating her worse than an enemy.

"If I had known, I should have drowned you in the chamber pot right after birth..."

Ye Jinrong heard the commotion outside and knew someone was there. The intermittent curses drifted through the air.

In the courtyard, Pei Chunyan, who had just returned from digging up wild vegetables, was sorting them at the kitchen door. The rest of the Pei family had gone to work, leaving her behind to tend to the old woman.

Pei Chunyan picked up her bamboo basket and walked to the courtyard gate, sitting down on the threshold, head bowed as she sorted the vegetables.

The sun shone on her, finally bringing some warmth, masking the numbing cold in her heart.

Hearing the sound of an animal snorting, she instinctively looked up. Pei Yan was leading a donkey, pulling a cart headed somewhere. The cart was filled with fresh green vegetables and a chicken coop containing several old hens.

He must be going to the town to sell vegetables and chickens.

Before Pei Yan could look over, she lowered her head again, focusing on her task.

"Grandma."

A clear and cheerful voice came from nearby. Pei Chunyan recognized it and couldn't help but turn to look.

Gu Lansi was carrying a chubby baby, heading towards the Gu family's ancestral home. At first glance, she saw that the child was fair, plump, and beautiful, with large eyes. The red baby clothes were embroidered with many flowers, and the tiny tiger-head shoes were exquisitely made. A long-life silver lock hung around the child’s neck, clearly indicating how much the family doted on the child.

Gu Lansi carried a basket full of fresh vegetables, which was quite heavy. The baby, Xingxing, was wriggling, making it difficult to hold him. Without looking elsewhere, he went straight into the ancestral home.

Once they were out of sight, Pei Chunyan turned away.

A moment later, when she entered the house to fetch water for Ye Jinrong, she was unsurprisingly scolded again. Recalling what she had seen earlier, she suddenly spoke: "Pei Yan has gone to sell vegetables and old hens. There are many vegetables and hens; he can make a lot of money."

Ye Jinrong's voice abruptly stopped.

Pei Chunyan looked over and said, "I feel relieved seeing him doing well. Not for him, not for me, but for you and my father, and the rest of the Pei family, who haven’t had a good life."

She spoke calmly, noticing the disbelief in Ye Jinrong's expression, and suddenly laughed. But tears welled up in her eyes, and her smile faded, ending with her covering her face and crying.